Dwyane Wade enjoyed a spectacular career in the NBA that makes him a lock to be a future Hall of Famer, with three championship rings and one NBA Finals MVP award during his time with the Miami Heat.
When asked by Stephen A. Smith to pick his happiest basketball memory during an appearance on First Take on Friday, though, Wade went back to his college career, and his experience leading the Marquette Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003 as a sophomore.
“Marquette University, playing in college. I can’t say I expected to be here. Growing up in Chicago, I played the game of basketball because it was an outlet for me, and I got an opportunity to get three scholarship offers, and I got a chance to pick one and go to Marquette University. And that surpassed a dream for a kid from the inner city that didn’t have, really, that vision. My vision was the NBA, I didn’t have the vision [of college].
When I went to college, I grew as a man. I became a father at a very young age. But that was joy. It was before the money, it was before the business side of basketball. It was just the joy of the game, playing on one of the highest levels. So taking Marquette to the Final Four was one of my favorite memories, and still is to this day. I smile every time I see a highlight from college.”
Wade had a legendary performance to lead Marquette to an upset win over the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats in the 2003 NCAA tournament, posting 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to send his team to the Final Four. Marquette went on to lose in the semifinals to Kansas, but the Jayhawks then fell to a player who would go on to become Wade’s close friend and banana boat buddy, Syracuse’s freshman phenom Carmelo Anthony.
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